On Thursday the 15th of June 2006 , in the art space of « ASTROLAVOS » artlife opens a double exhibition with clay artifacts by Manoussos Chalkiadakis and mixed-medium work with plexy glass by Catherine Loiret.

Manoussos Chalkidakis exhibits works-artifacts of large scale with monumental character, dominating the art space.

Manufactures made by tree trunks and spheres, creating 'sceneries' in brown, earthy tones. These ceramic artifacts, besides clay, combine metal to create the tree branches, which the artist embodies to his work. Cylinder and circular forms emerge together with full circles and hollow shapes in a game of design, texture and body. Cretan clay, being cooked in the highest possible temperature (1.1150 C) brings to the surface colors similar to the shining texture of a very well curved piece of wood, but also to the gloss of stone. These last, two natural materials provoke the artists admiration and through his sculptural 'language' reproduces them in a dream-like, magical 'fashion'. The artist's extremely personal style, through which the values of plastic art approach the classic lines / shapes of sculpture, is characterized by a 'critical' dialogue between the material and the wheel. His shapes are simple, daring; with original interventions which make the points of reference to his work. The special texture of Chalkiadakis clay, in conjunction with different materials he uses, radically alters the inner substance of his works. So radically, that even if they belong (theoretically) to ceramic art, they manage to approach ideas of manufactures- installations of contemporary art.

Catherine Loiret, exhibits small scale works of mixed- medium in plexy glass.

Her compositions are characterized by the three-dimensional character of construction, with altering levels of space, which obtain seriousness and importance. The transparency of plexy glass; a transparency carried to the artworks themselves, breaks only by tiny color surfaces, defying shapes or surrealistic motives attributing to the works a light, airy feeling.

The main idea which Loiret uses in this specific, most recent work of hers is defined by compositions - surrealistic and minimal- where the dominating structural element of her work are burnt matches which she embodies internally to the surface of the plexy glass. Some of the works embody expressionistic writing, spread-around metal elements and slashes of the plexi glass or bubbles inside the specific material, which create unique surrealistic compositions emphasizing on the geometry of the drawing and the uniqueness of the material.

Ending, a unit by works exhibited by Loiret depends on the juxtaposition of the transparent- the black- the gold, as the artist places in these works gold leafs like a shining antithesis against the surfaces of black.

In conclusion, we could support the argument that these works are possibly of most importance and have acquired the airy, minimal character of the burnt matches and the heavy, dark context of some other works by mainly the pictorial composition and unification of the different elements of her works. In general, we could say that these works are contrasting the heaviness with the lightness, the transparency with motives and dark lines. The compositions are characterized by minimalism and by an artistic approach in the composition and embodiment of different elements in her works.

Duration of exhibition : 1st of July 2006